Rui Hachimura Agrees To A Two-Year Deal With Clippers, Making Him A Fantasy Basketball Sleeper

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura has agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) goes up for a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rui Hachimura will be staying in Los Angeles but with a new team. The Former Los Angeles Lakers forward has agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. He will likely serve as a key piece coming off the bench with his new team.

Just in: Free agent Rui Hachimura has agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Cixx1ZGPV3

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 6, 2026

We expect Hachimura to be the second or third player of the bench for the 2026 - 2027 season. This is definitely an intriguing landing spot for fantasy basketball owners to consider. There aren't many landing spots that would have been much better for him from a fantasy perspective.

Fantasy Impact

F Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Clippers

This was a fantastic landing spot for Hachimura for fantasy owners. He could have easily landed with a team where he would have played a smaller role and seen his minutes drop down around 20 minutes per game. However, that shouldn't be the case with the Clippers.

Last season, with the Lakers, he played a strong 28.3 minutes per game, but a lot of his extended playing time was to do injuries to different players throughout the season. We do not expect the Clippers to be very good this season, and Hachimura could see 30-plus minutes per game this season even if everyone is healthy. If there are injuries in front of him, he could see a ton of minutes, making him a valuable sleeper option in fantasy basketball.

The Clippers don't have established ball-dominant superstars like the Lakers did with LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Even Austin Reaves can be included in that to a lesser extent. While high-level stars can make things easier for their role players like Hachimura at times, they can also hog up the opportunities to score fantasy points consistently. Despite the Clippers bringing in Brandon Ingram and having Darius Garland, they don't have anyone close to the level of LeBron and Doncic. That could create opportunities for Hachimura to break out.

Last season with the Lakers, he averaged 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game. He should see a significant boost in his fantasy production this season. His career highs are 13.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, all back when he was with the Washington Wizards. We wouldn't be shocked if he cleared some of or even all of those career-highs this season with the Clippers.

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